Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Stock: Insider Kevin Michael Murphy Sells 1,776 Shares

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) insider Kevin Murphy sold 1,776 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.50, for a total value of $398,712.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 168,440 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $37,814,780. The trade was a 1.04% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Kevin Michael Murphy also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, October 14th, Kevin Murphy sold 685 shares of Ferguson stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.63, for a total value of $151,131.55.
• On Monday, October 12th, Kevin Murphy sold 11,259 shares of Ferguson stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $216.78, for a total transaction of $2,440,726.02.

Ferguson Price Performance

Shares of FERG opened at $231.42 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.73. The firm has a market cap of $44.77 billion, a PE ratio of 27.19, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.14. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $228.04 and its 200 day moving average price is $234.52. Ferguson plc has a twelve month low of $212.13 and a twelve month high of $271.64.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.23 by $0.16. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.82% and a return on equity of 37.24%. The company had revenue of $8.75 billion during the quarter. As a group, research analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 21st were issued a dividend of $0.89 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 21st. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.83%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

FERG has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $295.00 target price on Ferguson in a report on Thursday, September 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group cut Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $315.00 to $265.00 in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on Ferguson from $290.00 to $286.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, Melius Research began coverage on Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. They set a “hold” rating and a $252.00 price target for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $285.78.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ferguson

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Wedbush Securities Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 4.3% in the second quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 1,197 shares of the company’s stock worth $284,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 5.2% during the 2nd quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC now owns 1,109 shares of the company’s stock worth $263,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. Cidel Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in Ferguson by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,541 shares of the company’s stock valued at $366,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Natural Investments LLC grew its stake in Ferguson by 6.9% in the 2nd quarter. Natural Investments LLC now owns 944 shares of the company’s stock valued at $224,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its stake in Ferguson by 26.1% in the 3rd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $67,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Ferguson

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ferguson’s most recent quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings per share of $3.39 versus the $3.23 consensus estimate. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $285.78, well above recent trading levels, which may support investor confidence.
• Positive Sentiment: The company continues to offer shareholder returns through its quarterly dividend, equivalent to $3.56 annually and a yield of approximately 1.6%. Ferguson also retains strong profitability, including a reported 37.24% return on equity.
• Neutral Sentiment: Several Ferguson executives and insiders reported stock sales during the week, including COO William Thees Jr., VP Anthony Camposano, Ian Graham, Jake Schlicher, Allison Stirrup and Kevin Murphy. The reported transactions involved thousands of shares and several million dollars in aggregate proceeds. Ferguson insider trading report
• Neutral Sentiment: All of the disclosed sales were executed under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plans. That reduces their significance as a signal that management expects Ferguson’s business or valuation to weaken, particularly because the sellers retained substantial positions.
• Negative Sentiment: The concentration of insider selling could nevertheless create modest near-term pressure on sentiment and may limit the stock’s upside, especially with Ferguson trading below its 200-day moving average.

About Ferguson

Ferguson plc (NYSE: FERG) is a North American distributor of plumbing and heating products, supplying professional customers across the residential, commercial, industrial and infrastructure markets. The company serves contractors, builders, remodelers, municipalities, industrial businesses and other trade professionals through branch locations, distribution centers and digital ordering platforms.

Its product offerings include plumbing supplies and fixtures, heating and cooling equipment, water and wastewater products, fire protection systems, waterworks materials, industrial piping and related maintenance, repair and operating supplies.